


Kid Flash's Family is Cooler Than Yours

by BlackBat09



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: 5 Things, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Multi, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-11 07:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12930660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBat09/pseuds/BlackBat09
Summary: It's pretty common knowledge that Kid Flash is the Flash's nephew. What most people don't know, however, is that Kid Flash is Wallace Harrison West, son of STAR Labs' Drs. Wallace West-Wells and Jesse Chambers-Wells. Now, Wally's not one to flaunt his family name, but sometimes he's just gotta show off. After all, his family is cool as hell.(Five times the Team met members of Wally's family, and one time they couldn't.)





	1. Gideon (S01E01 Independence Day)

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhh. Idk man. Arrowverse/Young Justice fusion where Kid Flash is still Barry's nephew, but Wally is still Iris' brother. I like crossovers, dammit.

Watching Roy leave _hurts_. Roy is Wally’s best friend, other than Dick, the two of them welcoming him to the sidekick biz after his eight months of training in STAR’s speed lab was done and Uncle Barry took him out in the field for the first time. They'd welcomed Kaldur into the fold with open arms when Aquaman introduced him, and their trio had become a quartet, four sidekicks- _partners_ \- against the world.

And now Roy's gone.

Wally’s not sure what stings more, Roy leaving or the lingering frostbite on his shoulder from the cold gun. It's healing slowly, for Wally, the cold slowing his metabolism to a crawl that he knows is still rapid by any normal human’s standards. He's not a normal human, though, and waiting for this to heal is agonizing. He rubs his shoulder with a pout, Uncle Barry catching him and sending a wink his way that makes Wally pout harder at him, trying to resist the urge to grin or stick his tongue out.

He zips to grab Roy’s hat off the ground; Wally? Sentimental? _Nooo_ ; settling back into his seat with a flurry of lightning and the feathered cap perched in his lap before the computer starts alarming.

“Superman to Justice League. There’s been an explosion at Project CADMUS. It’s on fire.”

Wally perks up at that, resisting the urge to flash over to the console as Batman voices his feelings about CADMUS. It’s a competitor of STAR Labs, as both Wally’s grandfather and his mother refuse to work with them, suspicious of their alleged involvement with the Luthors as well as simply disliking most of the projects CADMUS had pitched to them. The Luthor line, while just as brilliant as Wally’s own family, is a little more megalomaniacal than their clan usually permits, making collaboration a no-go; CADMUS is more blacklisted than General Eiling, and Wally swears his grandfather would actually strangle the General if he got the chance.

Zatara interrupts before Supes and Bats can continue chatting; something about a sorcerer trying to blot out the _sun_?; and as Bats calls the League to rendezvous with him, Wally glances at Dick and Kaldur to find them already on their feet, dropping Roy’s hat to zip to their sides.

“Stay put.” _Batman_. Of course.

“What? Why?” Dick protests as only he can, and Wally can imagine the sad puppy eyes his bro would be giving the Bat if they weren’t in colors. The Bat just silently glares at Dick; is it a glare? Wally can’t tell, Batman seems to have a perma-glare; as Aquaman answers him.

“This is a League mission.”

“You’re not trained,” Uncle Barry pipes up, cringing minutely as Wally whirls towards him.

“Since when?” he exclaims, indignant, making a vague, sweeping gesture meant to encompass all his training at STAR Labs and in Central, and Uncle B has the decency to look ashamed as he amends his statement.

“I meant, you’re not trained to work as part of this team.” Wally pouts at his uncle, ignoring Aquaman’s attempts at placating them and Batman’s growling command in favor of crossing his arms and grumping in Barry’s direction until he leaves.

“When we’re ready? How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like _sidekicks_?” He spits the word with the same venom Roy had, understanding now why his friend had been so pissed about the secrecy, being treated with kid gloves by the man who he thought respected him.

“My mentor,” Kaldur murmurs, the sadness in his tone drawing Wally’s gaze, “my king. I thought he trusted me.”

Wally scoffs, hands a flurry of motion as he tries to get out all the anger, the frustration, the hurt that’s clogging up his head. “ _T_ _rust_? They don’t even trust us with the basics! They’ve got a secret HQ- _in space_!” There are no secrets in science, Aunt Cait always says, something that makes Team Flash feel like the family it is, and to find out Uncle B had kept something so vital from Wally makes him want to take a lap from DC to Central, get the wind in his face and clear his head a little.

“What else aren't they telling us?” Kaldur wonders aloud, and it makes Wally a little queasy. He doesn't want his uncle to be lying to him.

“Better question,” Dick murmurs, “why didn't we leave with Speedy?”

It makes Wally’s heart ache, thinking of one of his best bros, stalking out of the Hall of Justice alone, through crowds of fans and reporters, sans hat and mentor. They should have supported him; Wally _does_ support Roy; but he doesn't want to give up on the League. Doesn't want to give up on his uncle.

The silence is stifling.

“What is this… Project CADMUS?”

Wally opens his mouth to answer Kaldur, but Dick beats him to the punch.

“As far as I know? Research labs. But I know how we can find out more.”

Dick turns to the computer setup on the wall, tapping away at the keyboard as Kaldur and Wally follow, peering over his head as he tries to pull up the CADMUS files.

“Access Denied,” the computer chirps cheerfully, and Wally claps a hand over his mouth to hide his grin, getting him an odd look from Kaldur as Dick smirks and starts typing even faster, pulling up the computer’s source code.

“What are you doing? And _how_?” Kaldur asks him, still shooting baffled glances at Wally as he tries not to laugh, shaking his head.

“Same system as the Batcave,” Dick purrs, proud of himself, and Wally can feel his shoulders shake, holding in the coming tide of giggles as Dick starts looking less smug and more confused.

It takes a good fifteen minutes of Dick’s increasingly furious typing, Kaldur’s growing confusion, and Wally practically vibrating with contained laughter before Dick gives up, slamming his fists on the desk in a manner that reminds him of his gramps.

“Access Denied.”

“Screw you!” The Boy Wonder snaps, and Wally is done for, laughter pealing out of him until his belly aches, tears catching on his cowl until he swipes them away. “What? What’s so funny?”

“I, too, would like to understand why Robin’s failure amuses you.”

Wally heaves a sigh, trying to catch his breath as the last of his giggles leave him, rubbing at his eyes once more before he can look at his friends with a smug grin of his own.

“Gideon?” Wally calls casually, stifling more laughter when Dick’s jaw drops, making an astonished noise.

“Yes, Kid Flash?”

“Do you think you can pull up the collected files on Project CADMUS?”

“Of course, Kid Flash.” Codes and files begin flashing across the screen, doing what Dick had been trying and failing to do just moments before.

“You _jerk_!” Dick yelps, rounding on Wally and advancing, pulling more giggles from the speedster as he zips backwards out of Dick’s grasp.

“I still do not understand,” Kaldur admits, and Wally flashes to his side and wraps an arm around him to guide him towards the console.

“Aqualad, this is Gideon. Gideon, Aqualad.”

“Greetings, Aqualad. Kid Flash has mentioned you fondly,” the computer responds, which does nothing to wipe the confusion off Kaldur’s face. He really just seems more baffled.

“Gideon’s an AI,” Dick explains, still glowering at Wally. “An artificial intelligence, created by STAR Labs. How come you didn't tell me she was installed on the Justice League systems?”

Wally shrugs. “I didn't know. Must be a recent development.”

“You heard her voice! You could have warned me; I've never been able to hack her!”

Wally flashes a toothy grin, resisting the urge to use Dick’s own cackle against him. “She likes the challenge! It's entertaining.”

“STAR Labs.” The bickering boys look to Kaldur, still puzzling over Gideon. “So she was created by…?”

“The Flash, my mom, and reserve League member Vibe,” Wally explains, still grinning. “She's like my super-intelligent robot cousin.”

“Which is why she gave you access to Batman’s research,” Kaldur concludes, and Wally nods, still glowing with pride.

“Speaking of research, here is the data on Project CADMUS,” Gideon interjects smoothly, a flurry of windows popping into view. “They are primarily a genetics lab in the Washington DC area.”

“I could've told you that.” Kaldur and Dick both look to Wally, who might be just a bit salty that his friends didn't give him a chance to explain earlier. “Ever since STAR Labs started metahuman research and went public with their involvement with the Flash, CADMUS has been trying to collaborate with us. Mom and Gramps don't like them- they think there's something shifty about them, just like Bats does.”

“In that case, we should probably investigate,” Dick suggests, a smirk that's second to only one crawling across his face. “After all, Batman _and_ two of the world’s top scientists think they're suspicious.”

“True. Hey, Gideon, can you get anything from CADMUS’ systems?” Wally asks her.

“I can certainly try, Kid Flash.”

Kaldur still seems astonished, while Dick sticks his tongue out at Wally for not telling him earlier, the speedster zipping over to ruffle his friend’s hair before returning to his original spot.

“There seems to be a technobiological component to CADMUS systems. It will raise an alert if there is an attempt at remotely accessing top secret or hidden files,” Gideon informs them, Wally’s brow knitting.

“Technobiological? You think they have a technopath?”

“It's certainly a possibility,” she confirms.

“But the fact that they have an alert system for hidden stuff means there's stuff to be found, right?” Dick asks, eyes wide behind his mask, certainly basking in thoughts of how much they can do, what they can uncover.

“That is quite likely, Robin. I must advise caution and discretion, Kid Flash. Dr. Wells will not be pleased if you're compromised or injured on an unsanctioned mission,” Gideon chimes in, almost like she's admonishing Wally. It's Dick’s turn to giggle as Wally sulks, sending an ineffective pout at the console.

“Yeah? Which Dr. Wells, Mom or Gramps?” he challenges.

“Both,” the AI responds cheerfully.

Dick doesn't stop laughing all the way to CADMUS.


	2. The Wells Clan (S01E06 Infiltrator)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a renowned nanoroboticist has been rescued from the League of Shadows, Red Arrow asks the Team to help keep her safe. Roy and the Shadows aren't the only ones with an interest in Dr. Roquette.

“Uh, who is this?”

“Artemis. Your new teammate.”

Wally gives her the disdainful glare that his mom’s side of the family perfected. “Kid Flash. Never heard of you.”

“Um, she's my new protege,” Green Arrow explains, laying a hand on the smug brat’s shoulder.

“What happened to your old one?” Wally challenges; if he left Roy out on the cold, Wally doesn't care how dangerous the Arrow used to be, he'll find out just what a speedster can do.

“Recognized, Speedy, B06,” Gideon announces over the whir of the zeta tube, Wally whirling on his heel and sighing in relief at the sight of Roy. Maybe now they'll have the archer they actually want on the team, instead of the cheap replacement the Arrow was trying to offer.

“Well, for starters, he doesn't go by _Speedy_ anymore. Call me Red Arrow.” Wally’s quiet snort is thankfully lost under the continued noise of the zeta tube and Gideon's voice.

“Recognize, Vibe, R01. Harrison Wells, A01. Jesse Chambers-Wells, A02. Wallace West-Wells, A03.” The tube is barely powered down before Wally streaks across the cave, wrapping up the visitors in a hug.

“Mom! Dad! You didn't tell me you were coming!”

“Hi, Wally,” his mom laughs, dropping a kiss on his cheek as his dad ruffles his hair.

“Hey, kiddo. Figured we'd surprise you.”

“Didn't realize we'd catch you this off guard, though. Where's your suit, KF?” Wally pulls out of his parents’ arms and pouts, striking a pose.

“What, _abuelito_ , you're saying I don't rock this?” he asks, gesturing at his sarong-over-trunks and Hawaiian shirt ensemble, a gift from his uncles after one of their honeymoons, grin splitting across his face as it earns him a laugh. “Plus, today was supposed to be a chill day! Nobody warned me we were supposed to be in colors.”

“Wally.” He straightens immediately, knowing that no-nonsense tone. “Why don't you introduce us to your team before Harper begins briefing you?”

“We're working with Roy? Dude, awesome!” A steely blue glare bores into him and Wally smiles sheepishly before turning to his team. “Guys, my family. Family, my team.”

The new girl’s eyes are a little wide when she asks, “Did the computer say _Harrison Wells_? Like, the actual Harrison Wells of STAR Labs?”

“Yep,” Wally confirms, more than a little smug as he flashes to the man’s side. “Dr. Harrison Wells, owner and CEO of STAR Labs, one of the most brilliant scientists to ever walk our earth, and my grandfather. Say hi, Gramps!” Wells just raises a brow at him, but Wally can see the way his eyes are smiling, even if his mouth isn't.

“Next,” Wally zips to the next person, “is Dr. Cisco Ramon-Wells, the finest mechanical engineer in all of STAR Labs, who outfits me, the Flash, and some of the League! He's also a part of the League as the metahuman hero Vibe, and since he's married to Gramps, he's _mi abuelito_.”

Cisco waves with a laugh, pushing some hair from his face. “Dr. Ramon or Cisco is fine. I'm a reserve Leaguer, hence the R01.”

“Don't be modest, _abuelito_ , you kick total ass.”

“Wally!” his mother snaps, and he mouths ‘oops’ before flashing over to her.

“My mom, Dr. Jesse Chambers-Wells, chemist, mechanical engineer, physicist… She does like, everything, which is why she's gonna take over STAR Labs from Gramps one day. Also, she's an awesome mom.”

“Hey, Dr. Quick,” Dick pipes up, and Wally rolls his eyes at his friend’s obvious crush on his mom.

“Hi, Robin, honey.”

“And last but not least, my dad!” He zips to his father’s side, grinning up at him brightly. “Dr. Wallace West-Wells, physicist and electrical and mechanical engineer. Obviously, the guy I'm named after.”

“Hey, everyone,” his dad greets. “Oh, Bats, how are those upgrades on the Batmobile working for you?”

The Bat glares at Wally’s dad for a long moment before rumbling, “I haven't seen a reason to uninstall them yet.” Dr. West grins; it's the same kind of compliments that Dr. Wells gives; and high-fives his son as the Batman turns to the Wells patriarch.

“Wells.”

“Batman.” Before the staring contest can get too intense, Wally interrupts them to introduce the team.

“Oh! And the team is Robin, who you've met; Aqualad, our team leader; Miss Martian, the Martian Manhunter’s niece; Superboy, the guy we liberated from CADMUS,” the whole family wrinkles their noses and Wally nods in agreement, “and then there’s…” He glances at Arrow Girl with his grandfather’s distinctive sneer. “Who are you again?”

“Artemis. I'm Green Arrow’s niece.”

“Oh, so your mom is-” The Arrow shoots a sharp glance at Cisco, who blanches a little. “Totally not important. Inconsequential. Anyway, uh. Red Arrow’s got some stuff to tell you guys, sooo… Roy.” He gestures at him a little.

“Dr. Serling Roquette,” Roy states, and Wally jerks his head up, eyes bright when he hears the name.

“ _The_ Dr. Serling Roquette? Nanorobotics expert from Royal University?” he asks, practically vibrating with excitement as Dick pulls up the doctor’s files, holographs of her and her work displayed for the assembled group.

“Vanished two weeks ago,” Dick adds, a little somber.

“ _Abducted_ two weeks ago, by the League of Shadows,” Roy corrects, and Wally notes the way Artemis and Green Arrow both tense; a normal response, Wally assumes, given the Arrow’s past with the Shadows.

“Whoa, you want us to rescue her from the Shadows?”

“Hardcore,” Wally whispers, bumping fists with Dick, but Roy shakes his head, stalking over to the holograms.

“I’ve already rescued her. Problem is, the Shadows had already coerced her into building a weapon, one she calls the Fog. Nanotech infiltrators that can disintegrate anything in their path: concrete, steel, _flesh_ , _bone_. But their true purpose is theft: consuming raw data from any systems they come across and feeding it back to the Shadows, giving them access to cutting edge tech, defense systems, weapons-”

“None of this explains STAR Lab’s presence,” Batman growls, and only then does the tension between the Wells clan and the Bat really smack Wally upside the head, glancing between his seething grandfather and Batman and inching out of the way of their glaring contest.

“STAR Labs was in contact with Dr. Roquette before she vanished- she had some of the finest nano-work we’d seen since Dr. Lily Stein, so STAR was happy to help fund her,” Wally’s mom explains, trying to smooth things over with a hand on her father’s crossed arms and a calm voice. “When she disappeared, we were doing some digging of our own to find her, and crossed paths with Mr. Harper. His knowledge of the Shadows and the situation proved valuable, so we offered him a temporary position at STAR to help us find Dr. Roquette.”

“You can’t _hire_ heroes,” Batman snaps, and Gramps barks a harsh laugh.

“Tell that to CADMUS, where Jim Harper, the Guardian, is currently employed- yes, even with his Genomorph conditioning removed. And in fact, tell that to Roy here, who received instruction and guidance almost _exclusively_ in the vigilante lifestyle, and _nothing else._ Tell me, _Batman_ , what exactly this young man is expected to do with his incredible skill? Would you like him to be homeless because his billionaire mentor couldn’t bother to teach him, I don’t know, normal life skills? Should Mr. Harper _starve_ to meet your moralistic ideals?” Stepping from under Dr. Quick’s hand, the eldest Wells’ blue eyes blaze as he glares at Batman. “We offered Mr. Harper a small fee and a temporary consultant position at STAR Labs to do a job he was going to do, anyway. Should he choose, after the mission is complete, there is a place for him on STAR’s payroll, which is more than can be said of _your Justice League_.”

The silence is deafening as Dr. Wells finishes his piece, seemingly daring Batman to argue with him.

“Red Arrow. Finish your briefing.”

Batman doesn’t say anything else against the Wells’ work with Roy. Wally’s never been so proud of his gramps in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> harry glaring at batman is so important to me


	3. Caitlin Snow (S01E11 Terrors)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With ice villains converging on Belle Reve Penitentiary, Batman sends Miss Martian and Superboy undercover. Wally takes Megan aside to ask her a favor.

“This past Fourth of July, four ice villains staged simultaneous attacks. While Captain Cold was not caught and seems to have gone completely off the grid, Killer Frost, Mr. Freeze, and Icicle Jr. were all easily apprehended- perhaps, too easily. Because Frost was outside her usual territory of the Gem Cities, she was immediately sent to Belle Reve Penitentiary, a government facility for super-criminals, rather than her regular cell in Iron Heights. Seventeen year-old Icicle Junior was sent to juvenile detention, and Mr. Freeze to his usual cell in Arkham Asylum, but Freeze petitioned the courts to be declared legally sane, and Junior sued to be tried as an adult. As a result, both are awaiting transport to Belle Reve, which seems to have been the goal all along.”

Batman’s briefing is almost as cold as the villains he names off, something in his tone harsher than usual- he seems especially annoyed by the fact that Captain Cold hadn’t been caught, sending a harsh glare at Wally as the speedster sits in on M’gann and Conner’s mission briefing. Wally doesn’t exactly explain why he’s there, either: at least, not until after the brief.

“Hey, M’gann, you’re going in to talk to Killer Frost, right? I mean, obviously- they’re not sending Conner in on the ladies’ side,” he chuckles. He seems more tense than usual; it makes M’gann want to read his mind, to find out what’s wrong, but she knows she should leave him to his privacy.

“Yeah, I am! Do you have any more information about her? She is from the Gem Cities, after all- that’s where you and the Flash patrol. You probably know lots about her!” Batman hadn’t been forthcoming, just identifying the villains and the plan to infiltrate Belle Reve as the Terror Twins. It’ll be awkward to play Conner’s sister, with how much M’gann likes him, but the mission comes first.

Wally fidgets again- rocking back on his heels, lightning briefly crackling over his skin- before he answers. “Killer Frost- she’s not always Frost. She’s an alter- another personality that comes out when Aunt Cait is scared or angry.”

“Aunt Cait?” M’gann interjects, brows furrowing in confusion. “Wait, Wally, is- is Killer Frost your aunt?”

Relief seems to spread across his face as M’gann understands him. “Yeah! Well, kinda. Aunt Cait- Dr. Caitlin Snow- she works at STAR and is really close with Mom and Dad and Uncle B and Aunt Iris. When she first got her meta powers, she went to a different facility- not STAR- to get looked at, and they tried trapping her and doing- _awful_ experiments to her. Between that and some stuff that happened as a kid, Aunt Cait split. Now Auntie Frost takes over to keep Aunt Cait safe, usually by using her powers.”

“Oh.” There’s not much else M’gann can _say_ \- finding out that Wally’s family, with its heroes and world-saving scientists, also includes a villain named _Killer Frost,_ is beyond strange. “I, uh. Thank you for telling me, Wally.”

“Sure thing, beautiful,” he flirts, but it’s nothing like his usual sweetness, seeming like almost an absent reflex rather than actual flirting. “The thing is, Belle Reve has meta dampening collars, so as long as she’s in the collar, Aunt Cait won’t become Frost- Auntie Frost comes out with the powers. No powers, no Frost. But if something happens in there, to the collars…” Wally worries his lip between his teeth. “Can you promise me you’ll try to help Aunt Cait? Talk to her, maybe let her in on the whole… Martian mind-powers thing? See if you can help her suppress Frost, if things get really bad?”

Silence falls between them as M’gann tries to figure out the right thing to say to Wally. He still seems so nervous, picking at the edges of his sleeves as he waits for M’gann to say something, anything. She wants to help, really- especially if she can stop Dr. Snow from feeling scared or angry enough to let Frost take control.

“I can promise I’ll try, Wally. I want to help her,” M’gann assures him, reaching out to lay her hand over one of Wally’s. “I hope your aunt’s alright.”

“Yeah,” Wally agrees. “I hope both of them are.”

* * *

 Batman had insisted no one inside would know their real identities, so M’gann chalks it up to the Unnameable One watching over her when she’s put in Killer Frost’s cell.

Caitlin Snow’s cell, she reminds herself, as the brunette on the top bunk peers at her, offering a weary smile as M’gann is forced through the door. “Welcome to Belle Reve,” she murmurs before laying back down, apparently willing to leave M’gann to her own devices. If she were actually Tuppence Terror, M’gann might’ve made a move to intimidate the quiet scientist; instead, M’gann waits for the guards to depart, standing in the middle of the cell and fidgeting until Dr. Snow looks down at her again.

“Is there something you need?”

M’gann spreads out her awareness, careful not to touch anyone’s minds, just getting the faintest impressions. No one is focused on their cell or paying them any mind, thankfully- they all seem to think that the new fish and the docile scientist aren’t worth their time, and M’gann appreciates the time that being underestimated gives her with Dr. Snow.

“Dr. Snow, you… you know Kid Flash, don’t you?”

The woman is upright in an instant, eyes blazing so furiously that M’gann suddenly sees how this pretty, unassuming lady is a supervillain. “I don’t know who you are, little girl, but I’d bite my tongue if I were you. I don’t need my powers to hurt you,” she snarls, the viciousness making M’gann backpedal in an instant, hands raised placatingly.

“No, no, you don’t understand! I-I don’t want to hurt Kid Flash,” M’gann stammers, slowly lowering her hands and reaching out with her mind to touch Dr. Snow’s. _“I’m part of his team, ma’am. My name is M’gann M’orzz- I’m Martian Manhunter’s niece, and Wally’s teammate.”_

Snow goes from glaring to wide-eyed, mouth dropping open slightly as she stares at Megan, her mind floundering as she tries to find something to say.

_“You’re undercover. Is Wally- is he okay?”_

_“He’s fine, Dr. Snow. He asked me to check in on you- to help you with Frost, if you need it?”_ The doctor’s eyes soften, sad smile returning to her face.

_“He’s a good kid, Wally. Thank you, M’gann. I may not be able to do much without Frost and my powers, but I’ll look out for you.”_

_“Thank you, Dr. Snow.”_

* * *

When the collars come off and Killer Frost takes over, eyes glowing ice-blue and hair fading to white, she turns to M'gann and winks before she starts going through with the ice villain plot.

Well, going through with it, up until Frost turns Devastation into an icicle. "Never liked her, anyway, me or Caitie," she admits, grinning broadly at M'gann as they loiter in the prison laundry, the air still chilly. "When you get out of here, give Wally my best, will you?"

"O-okay."

"Good girl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shrugs


	4. Leonard Snart and Mick Rory (Post-S01E14 Revelation)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While watching the footage of the fights with the Injustice League's plant-creatures, Wally sees a familiar ship joining the fray, and two familiar figures joining the fight alongside the Flash- Wally's uncles, who come for a visit to the Cave to check out Wally's new team.

As Wally nurses his broken arm after the Injustice League fight, letting Captain Marvel wait on him hand and foot, he rewatches the footage of the League’s fights against the killer plants, and nearly chokes on his pineapple juice when he sees a familiar ship blink into existence over Taipei, where the Flash is fighting with Blue Devil and Captain Atom.

“Gideon, pause!” he calls out, on the edge of his seat, gaping at the holo-feed and the ship. He _knows_ that ship. “Keep going.”

The ship swoops low and opens the hatch on the side, two familiar figures dropping to the ground and running to join the fight. A stream of fire and a blast of blue-white energy have Wally whooping excitedly, watching the Flash turn and zip over to the newcomers before heading into the fray again.

“They’re home!”

“Who’s home?” Artemis peers over his shoulder at the feeds, leaning on the back of his recliner before the rest of the team joins them.

“My uncles!” Wally’s up out of his chair in a heartbeat, pushing away the feeds to open up Gideon’s scanners. “Gideon, can we scan for chronotron radiation? See where the Waverider went after Taipei?”

“Of course, Mr. West.”

“Chronotron radiation?” Kaldur questions as Wally bounces eagerly on the balls of his feet, staring at the whir of numbers and calculations that flash across the holoscreen. “What is that?”

“It’s a theoretical energy, associated with time travel.”

“Time travel?” Artemis scoffs, disbelieving. “Are you saying your uncles are time travelers, Kid Mouth?”

He waves her off as Gideon’s scan completes, two separate screens appearing, showing two ships.

“I’ve detected two vessels giving off chronotron radiation. One, matching the Waverider, visited St. Roch before making a jump to Star City, where it’s currently located, while the other was, until a few minutes ago, in Central City.”

“What happened to the one in Central?” It’s a smaller vessel, from what Wally can see, more streamlined, probably built for stealth and speed. It doesn’t seem quite his uncles’ style; they’re the more _dramatic_ type; but he can see them taking it to split from the rest of the team and visit home.

“If my scans are correct, the second ship has just arrived over Happy Harbor,” Gideon chirps, pulling up the mountain’s external camera feed to show the other ship emerging from the sky, touching down ever so gently outside the cave.

He can’t help gasping, giddy at the sight of the timeship opening up out front, and punches the air before addressing Gideon. “Open the hangar! I wanna go out and see them!”

“Yes, Mr. West.”

Wally vanishes in a flash of lightning, leaving the rest of the team to watch two figures disembark the timeship before following him.

“I thought the Flash was Wally’s uncle,” Conner mutters, casting a suspicious glance back at the mission room and the images they’d left on-screen.

“Well, he does have a loose definition of the word,” M’gann offers. “After all, he refers to Caitlin Snow and Killer Frost as his aunts, and they don’t have ties of blood or marriage to his family.”

“Wait- _Killer Frost_ is his aunt?”

As Artemis seems to grapple the information, Kaldur has the decency to look a bit chagrined, an awkward smile flickering across his face. “Had I known they were family, I would not have hit Frost quite so hard during our battle at Pearl Harbor.”

“Actually, I talked to her about that while we were in Belle Reve- she appreciates that someone who can get the job done is leading Wally’s team. It makes her trust us a little more,” M’gann assures him, floating alongside the group. “She’s very protective of him.”

“So are these guys,” Dick chuckles, the team looking at him in surprise.

Artemis speaks up first. “You _know_ his uncles? Who are they?”

“I’ll let him introduce everyone. More fun that way.”

Wally has his arms around a man with salt-and-pepper hair when the team finds them, talking a mile a minute as the other man with them laughs loudly, ruffling Wally’s hair when he lets go of the man he’s been hugging.

“Heat Wave, Captain- it’s _ice_ to see you again.”

Wally and the taller of the two men groan, even as the other laughs, smirk pulling across his face that looks stunningly like the one Robin tends to wear.

“Bird boy, what’d I tell you about them damn puns?” Heat Wave growls, scarred arms crossed over his chest as he glowers at Dick, before his face splits in a grin and shakes his head. “Good ta see you again.”

“You, too, Mick. And you, Mr. Snart.”

“Hey, kid.”

“Wait- _Snart_? _Heat Wave_? Are you telling me Kid Idiot’s uncles are the Flash’s _Rogues_?” Artemis exclaims, and she squints back as both men fix her with vicious glares.

“Wally. You haven’t introduced us to your _team_ ,” Snart drawls, cold gaze fixed on Artemis, his fingers lightly tracing the handle of his cold gun where it rests in its thigh holster. Mick’s face is flat, the broad grin that had split his face gone as he stares blankly at the archer.

“Obviously, you guys know Rob,” the young vigilante lazily salutes the Rogues, “then there’s our team leader, Aqualad; shapeshifter extraordinaire, Miss Martian; Kryptonian powerhouse, Superboy; and Green Arrow’s niece, Artemis.”

“She replaced Harper, huh?” Mick rumbles, low and dangerous, gaze still fixed on Artemis, scrutinizing her in a way that makes Artemis wish she had her bow.

Wally shrugs. “I mean, he wanted to go solo. GA just figured we needed another archer.”

“You know Red Arrow’s identity?” Kaldur asks, brows knit, drawing Snart’s eyes from Artemis to look to the Atlantean.

“Our paths’ve crossed. Kid understands that morality ain’t all black and white. Something we Rogues can respect,” Leonard murmurs before his icy eyes wander back to Artemis, fixing her with a hard gaze until Wally steps in between them.

“Sooo, I’m assuming you saw Uncle B and Aunt Iris while you were in Central? And checked in on the Rogues?” His questions draw laughs from both Rogues.

“Yeah, we saw Red and Newsie. Got a _real_ nice welcome home,” Mick teases, and Wally flushes redder than his hair, covering his ears and shaking his head rapidly.

“Nope! Nope, nope, nope, we are _not_ talking about your-” Wally gags, and Len grins.

“Our relationship with your handsome uncle and stunning aunt?”

“Uncle Len, not in front of the Team!”

“So, lemme get this straight- the Flash and his wife are _with_ two of his Rogues, and _that’s_ why you call them your uncles?” Artemis cuts in, sneering ever so slightly, and Wally goes just as cold as his uncle, glaring back at her.

“Uncle B and Aunt Iris are dating Uncle Len and Uncle Mick, you judgemental little-”

“Language, kid,” Mick warns, but he’s grinning, obviously wanting to see his nephew lay into his teammate.

“It’s not fair!” he snaps back, “Nobody cares that Bats is knocking boots with Catwoman, or GL with Star Sapphire, but you guys can’t be happy with Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry?”

Kaldur steps in, holding his hands out in an effort to placate Wally and shooting Artemis a look of reprimand. “No one is trying to invalidate your aunt and uncles’ relationship, Kid Flash. Polyamory may not be common on the surface world, but that doesn’t mean the Flash, his wife, and your uncles can’t be happy.”

“Wisdom from the mouths of babes,” Len drawls, laying a hand on Wally’s shoulder and squeezing gently. “It’s fine, Wally, we’ve heard it all before.”

The speedster pouts, crossing his arms over his chest and shooting another glare at Artemis before Mick gets his attention.

“Wanna take your team on board the _Lethe_? There’s souvenirs for ya on board if you can find ‘em,” he offers, grinning as the boy immediately perks up.

“Dude- exploring a timeship? Hell yes! Come on!” he encourages the Team, zipping off up the ship’s ramp and leaving the rest of the Team to follow at their normal speed.

A broad hand wraps around Artemis’ upper arm, jerking her to a stop as the Team boards the _Lethe_. “Not you,” Heat Wave growls, and Artemis goes tense. She knows she fucked up.

“Look, I didn’t mean to be offensive. I just didn’t expect you were dating the Flash and his wife,” she explains, the man’s grip on her arm firm but not hard enough to bruise, surprisingly mindful from the brutish-looking Rogue.

“That ain’t what we got a problem with, Arrowette.”

“My name’s Artemis,” the young woman corrects, a sly chuckle coming from Captain Cold.

“Well, for one, Mick’s a nickname kinda guy, and two, you’ll have to excuse us for thinking the name’s as phony as your backstory,” Cold hums, inspecting his gloved hand as Artemis glares at him, not showing the fear that makes her pulse spike.

“I’m not phony,” she answers flatly, but hell if she’s not nervous. She’s worked so hard to keep her identity a secret, and now here are two strangers- two _villains_ , Wally’s villains who are also his _uncles_ \- calling out her lie.

“We just spent months on a timeship with Robin Hood’s sister-in-law,” Heat Wave grunts, “We know Birdie ain’t got a kid, and that means Arrow ain’t got a niece.”

“Which makes you a fraud, little archer,” Cold concludes, tapping his fingers against the handle of his cold gun just a bit _too_ casually for Artemis’ comfort. “A convincing one, though- between the blond and the Shadows training, you could easily pass for Sara’s.”

“Green Arrow’s sister in law is a Shadow?” _Shit_. Both Rogues give her sharklike grins at her slip-up.

“Ex-Shadow,” Cold corrects. “I see Queen didn’t even bother telling you about the woman whose daughter you were posing as.”

“Think she might know ‘er Shadow name?” Heat Wave suggests, and there’s something in his tone that sets Artemis on edge, trying to tug at the grip on her arm and getting a squeeze and a glare for her troubles.

Cold looks contemplative, still smirking down at Artemis as she stands between the Rogues. “She might. Say, little archer, does _Ta-er al-Sahfer_ ring any bells?”

Artemis freezes.

“The _Canary_ is Green Arrow’s _sister-in-law_?” she chokes out, and then immediately feels stupid- his wife is Black Canary. Why wouldn’t the League’s famous Canary be related to Dinah Lance?

“That she is. Sara Lance, the White Canary- hell of a woman, one of the best fighters I’ve ever laid eyes on-” Cold’s smirk drops as he leans in to stare Artemis down, eyes colder than his name or his gun could ever get. “-and not likely to be too _pleased_ if she finds out the Shadow brat Green Arrow’s trying to pass off as her kid is harassing our nephew.”

Heat Wave chuckles, the sound dark, and his fingers dig into her arm just a bit harder. “What Lenny’s trying to say is, mind yer manners with our Wally, or you an’ Birdie’ll be having a one-on-one chat. An’ we don’t think you’ll want that.”

She shakes her head so rapidly she nearly gives herself whiplash. “No! No, sirs.”

The duo laughs at being called ‘sir’, Mick releasing Artemis’ arm before both of them step back out of her space. “Glad we understand each other, Artemis,” Len chuckles, reaching out to brush something from her shoulder, the motion catching her attention and distracting her from how close she is to panicking.

“Go check out the ship, Arrowette,” Mick instructs, and she nods silently before fleeing towards the timeship and the safety of the Team.

If she’s nicer to Wally now, no one needs to know why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> meanwhile, in star city:  
> sara: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU TOLD PEOPLE SHE'S MY DAUGHTER  
> oliver: i didn't- i mean, i said she's my niece, but-  
> sara: SAME THING


	5. The Junior Rogues (S01E19 Misplaced)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the adults vanish, Wally gets Kaldur's permission to bring his cousins in from Central. When the young Rogues arrive, Conner takes two of them out to search for civilians.

There’s hardly a moment for anyone to rest, with the adults gone, but Wally grabs Kaldur and Robin and drags them aside anyway, their conversation quiet, but not too quiet for Conner to hear.

“Can I bring them here? I know, it’s the Cave, we shouldn’t compromise it, but- they won’t really work well with the crowds of civilians in the centers, and they’re my cousins. Axel is probably freaked out enough as is, and Michael- he’s good at hiding it, but he’s just a kid, and his fathers and his aunt are gone.”

“Of course, Kid Flash. Robin, can you help him with authorization?”

“It’ll have to be one at a time.”

“Michael, then Axel, then Hart.”

“You sure about that, KF?”

“Yeah. Leaving Axel alone on either end without someone he knows isn’t a good idea, and I don’t want Michael to be the last one out of the safehouse.” Wally gives Dick a wry grin. “Besides, Michael likes you. As much as he likes anyone who’s not a Rogue, that is.”

Dick cackles, clapping Wally on the shoulder before going back to the center of the room, pulling up the zeta tube controls as Zatanna continues studying her father’s spell. “Alright, I’ll get you to Central and you can send them through.”

“Recognize, Kid Flash. B-03,” Gideon chimes as Wally flashes through the zeta tube, and it’s only powered down a few minutes before Wally’s voice comes over the comms.

“Michael’s on his way!” he chirps, before muttering, “Little shit. _Ow-_!”

“Recognize, Michael Burrows. A-05.” Conner watches a boy step out of the glow of the zeta tube, probably around nine, with light brown skin, tight curls, and piercing blue eyes that are naggingly familiar, in a way that has Conner frowning as the boy crosses to Robin, standing beside him and crossing his arms as he stares down the zeta tube.

“Boy Wonder,” Michael says, and the voice, the stance, the eyes, all hit Conner at once.

The boy is Leonard Snart’s son. _Captain Cold’s_ kid. No wonder Wally called the boy his cousin.

“Cadet Cold,” Robin teases, getting a flicker of a smirk to cross Michael’s face before Robin punches in another access code and Gideon calls out another name.

“Recognize, Axel Walker. A-06.” A boy in tight, striped jeans and a studded vest stumbles out of the zeta tube next, his spiked blond hair going brown at the roots and his brown eyes darting manically around the cave, fingers twitching until his eyes settle on Michael and his whole body relaxes. Conner doesn’t know why the sight of the little boy makes the new kid so calm, but he’s experienced similar things when he sees members of the team, so he really can’t judge the way the newcomer skips his way over to Michael.

“That was _nuts_ ,” he stage-whispers, the younger boy rolling his eyes, another slight, fond smile gracing his lips before the ice-cold demeanor Michael’s clinging to returns.

“Recognize, Hartley Rathaway. A-07.” The last of Wally’s guests steps calmly out of the zeta tube entrance, adjusting his glasses before picking his way over to the other two boys, but not before his sharp eyes land on Conner and he gives him an interested once-over.

“Kid Flash. B-03,” Gideon chirps, and Wally skids to a stop, holding himself back for all of a few seconds before zipping over to his guests and wrapping them up in a group hug, which Michael and Hartley struggle against. Axel hugs Wally back, though, giggling in a slightly desperate way that has Conner raising a brow until the speedster releases them.

“Wally, what’s going on?” Michael asks, trying to keep up his icy mask, but it falls and he looks like a scared kid, cold blue eyes slightly wet. “Dad and Abba and Auntie Lise-”

“I know, buddy,” Wally murmurs, crouching slightly to be on level with the boy. “Uncle B vanished, too, and Aunt Iris, and my mom and dad. I’m worried, too. But my team’s working to figure stuff out, okay? We’re gonna get the grown-ups back.”

“We don’t have to bring all of them back.” Hartley inspects his nails even as Wally shoots a glare at him, trying and failing to pull an innocent face. “What? My parents are homophobic dicks- nobody’s missing them.”

“Who’s gonna pay your allowance if they’re gone, rich boy?” Axel taunts, and Hartley starts going red in the face before Wally steps between them.

“Hey! Axel, enough- I know you’re freaked out, but lay off, okay?” His voice softens as Axel flinches a little, reaching out to lay his hands on the studded shoulders of his jean vest. “There are some days you don’t want your dad around, either, dude. Don’t pick fights with Hart about this.”

Mouth twitching in a sad approximation of a smile, Axel nods, reaching up to pat the backs of Wally’s hands before shrugging them off. “Play nice. Gotcha.” He turns his eyes to the rest of the Cave, head tilting slightly as he takes them all in. “So, Baby Flash, who’re your friends?”

“ _Baby Fl_ \- Axel, I’m barely two years younger than you!” Wally whines, making Axel laugh, pealing cackles echoing in the cave as he reaches out to pinch Wally’s cheek.

“Still the tiniest Baby Flash,” he coos. Wally sticks his tongue out and swats away Axel’s hands before turning to the members of the team who are present.

“It’s not the whole team, but- Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, and Zatanna, these are my cousins- Michael, Axel, and Hartley,” he introduces, pointing to everyone in turn. “Michael is Uncle Mick and Uncle Len’s son, Axel is Trickster Jr., and Hartley is the Pied Piper.”

Axel doffs an invisible hat and bows until he’s bent in half, still giggling, while Hartley offers a lazy salute, once again giving Conner and Kaldur once-overs. “Junior Rogues, at your service!” the blond chirps brightly when he straightens up, eyes alight with something manic.

“Junior Rogues? Are you saying these guys are criminals? Why are they _here_?” Conner grumbles, almost wishing he had heat vision as the littlest one fixes him with another cold glare.

“Dude, I couldn’t just leave them in the Rogues base alone. Michael’s _nine_ , Hart and Axel bicker like nobody’s business, and-”

“I’m crazier than a sack of ferrets,” Axel butts in, and the concern and hurt in Wally’s eyes when he glances back at the Rogue let Conner know that it’s not just a joke; Wally is worried about his Rogue’s- no, his _cousin’s,_ mental health during this incident.

He’s immediately less annoyed by their presence.

“Can they help?” he asks, and the whole Central City crew stares at Conner like he’s grown a second head. “What? They’re Rogues, right? They’ve got some sort of abilities, or else they wouldn’t be out fighting you and the Flash.”

“Well- yeah, but-”

“So, can they help me bring kids to the shelter?” The teens all exchange glances, various raised eyebrows and shrugs communicating something silently before they look back at him.

“I mean. I _guess_?” Wally ventures, looking between his cousins. “I’d probably have to go back to Central and get their gear, unless…”

“Baby Flash, do you really think the Rogues would enter enemy territory unprepared?” Axel asks, putting a hand over his heart in mock hurt before a wide grin splits across his face and he bounces his right foot against the ground, propelling himself a few feet in the air as the bottoms of his boots start to glow. “Trickster’s air-walking skills are at your service, Boy of Steel.”

Conner’s still staring at Axel, swaying in midair, when Hartley reaches into his sleeve and pulls out a flute, twirling it idly between his fingers before shrugging. “I can offer my ears and the pipe- hear the brats and help keep them calm.” Conner nods- he knows he’s got the hearing part covered, but any help he can get is nice- picking up kids alone, especially the younger ones who call him _Superman_ and don’t care when he explains he’s Super _boy_ , is no fun, and if the Junior Rogues are willing to pitch in, he’ll take it.

“Michael stays.” Both Rogues nod along with Wally, the youngest of the bunch flushing angrily as he gapes, affronted, at the others.

“I can help,” he insists, and now Conner can see Heat Wave in him, the way his little fists clench and he growls at Wally, though the speedster is unimpressed.

“Mikey, dude, you're under-ten. Hate to break it to you, but you're a liability out there, especially since you don't have gear.”

“I can pick locks!”

“Ditto,” Axel chimes in, Hartley scoffing a laugh.

“You're not special, kid. All the Rogues can do that.”

The boy looks ready to launch himself at Piper, face twisted with rage, when Kaldur steps in to lay a careful hand on Michael’s shoulder. “If you would like to help us, Michael, I can escort you to the shelter at Happy Harbor High, or you could stay here and assist Robin with coordinating rescue efforts. While our teams on the street are important, Robin’s keen eyes and strategies have kept many children safe tonight. And with two of your team out in the field, you could provide valuable insight on how Piper and Trickster can assist us.”

Michael glares, as seems to be his default, until his shoulders slump and he glances over at Robin. “Can I?” he asks the Boy Wonder, who smiles for him, an actual smile that Robin rarely uses.

“Yeah, buddy, c’mere. You can help me boss Axel, Hart, and Superboy around,” Robin offers, and Michael scurries over the the platform with the holographic monitors, rising up on his toes until Robin moves some of the screens down where he can see them better.

“Gideon, open the hangar,” Conner instructs, “we’re gonna take the Supercycle out.”

“The _what_?” Axel asks, laughing a little as he follows Conner, still walking through the air, even as Hartley jogs past him to catch up, casually swatting the Trickster in the leg as he passes.

“We used to call her Sphere, but we found out she can do more.” The Supercycle rolls up to Conner as he enters the hangar, nudging him before he lays a hand on its shell, patting her gently. “Hey, girl. Me and two passengers.”

She beeps an affirmative before her shell shifts and she unfolds into the Supercycle, both Hartley and Axel gaping at her as Conner grins, proud.

“Hop in. And strap in.”

“Hell yes!” Axel glides through the air before dropping into one of the seats, Hartley taking the normal route of just climbing in, even as Conner leaps into the pilot seat. “Does this thing _fly_? _Please_ tell me she flies- she has those kick-ass engines in back!”

Conner pats her side fondly, her engines revving before she turns towards the open hangar door. “Show ‘em what you got, girl.”

Even Hartley is laughing breathlessly as the Cycle flies out of the hangar, taking off towards the rest of Happy Harbor.

“After you guys sweep the Harbor again, head out to Middletown and see if you can help them out- Middletown High has a shelter set up, too,” Robin reports, Conner grunting in affirmation before he takes the Cycle down closer to the streets, letting the others out to start looking.

“I don’t hear anyone,” Hartley shouts as Axel air-walks past him, peeking in the windows of cars and buildings, and Conner strains his ears, too, not finding anything he’d missed among the buildings and cars- Happy Harbor is small, and most of its under-eighteen population has already been moved to the high school gym.

They still take it slow as they keep roaming, and while the quiet doesn’t get to Conner, apparently it gets to Axel, the Trickster humming to himself, occasionally singing quiet nonsense that Conner tries to tune out, but Hartley apparently can’t.

“Will you _stop_ -”

“It’s creepy!” Axel blurts in protest, pouting at the other Rogue, stomping his foot angrily in midair. “It’s too quiet, Hart, I _hate_ it, it’s like _solitary_ -”

“You’ve been in solitary?” Conner asks, before he can stop himself. They’re criminals, so he shouldn’t be surprised by the thought, but solitary confinement is- unpleasant. The idea reminds him of being podded, of being closed in, when the G-Gnomes had stopped whispering to him and just held his mind under the darkness.

It takes him a second to realize that Hartley is scowling at him. “You can’t just ask things like that,” Piper snaps, but Axel hushes him, walking down to where Conner is on the street, still floating a few feet in the air as they walk alongside each other.

“They’re not allowed to put juveniles in solitary anymore, but back when they _could_? Yep, I got dropped in there. I freaked the guards out,” he admits, seeming far too chipper about the fact, but Conner can hear his heart rate increase even as Axel shrugs. “Plus, being committed is like solitary with shrinks.”

“Oh.” Hartley still looks vaguely murderous, glaring in Conner’s direction, but Axel, despite his slight panic, continues talking.

“Yeah, quiet’s no good. Too quiet means something’s wrong.” He giggles, gesturing broadly to the empty streets. “Obviously.”

“Obviously,” Conner agrees, scowling to himself as they keep walking.

“With all the adults gone, you must be missing Superman,” Hartley calls conversationally, a little sharp, and Conner gets the feeling he’s purposely being needled for thoughtlessly engaging Axel about his past.

Still, his bitterness wells up and overflows before he can even consider what a bad idea it is to tell the Rogues about his strained relationship with Superman. “Why should I? If I’d vanished, he would’ve needed Batman to tell him I was missing.”

The Junior Rogues exchange glances as Robin coughs awkwardly over the comms, muttering his codename in warning.

“Nope! I wanna hear this,” Axel declares, moving in front of Conner to air-walk backwards in front of him, blue-gray eyes wide with interest. “ _You_ have daddy issues! The _Boy of Steel_ has problems just like the rest of us. So I wanna know.” He halts, forcing Conner to stop and frown up at him. “What kind of shitty dad is Supes, huh?”

“He’s not my father,” Conner growls, glaring up at Axel, but that only makes him wince in sympathy, glancing over at Hartley.

“Ouch. Disowned?”

“Wha- no. I’m a clone,” he explains, not sure why he’s volunteering the information- maybe to get Axel off his back about _daddy issues,_ maybe to make him understand why Superman’s distant attitude is justified- maybe to justify Superman’s distance to himself. “I was created without his consent.”

“That doesn’t give him the right to be a dick.” Conner glances over to find Hartley with his arms crossed over his chest, knuckles white where they dig into the meat of his upper arms. “It’s not your fault. It’s not like you _decided_ to be made just to piss him off.”

Axel floats into Conner’s peripheral, nodding sagely. “Even if he's pissed at whoever made you, he shouldn't take it out on you.”

“Why do you two care?” Conner snaps without thinking, teeth grit almost painfully. He wants to punch something, to feel something buckle under his fist and hope, hope, that it hurts him.

“My dad sucks, too,” Axel murmurs after a quiet moment, holding a hand up to halt Conner’s protests. “I know, I know- Supes isn't your dad. Just listen. My dad is the first Trickster, James Jesse. I didn't know him until I was about twelve- and all he cared about when he met me was making me like him. He wanted a legacy, not a son. And for a while, I didn't mind, but then-”

He sucks in a deep breath, letting out a desperate little laugh. “Then I realized he barely cared about that. He'd forget about me; leave me with the Rogues to go off and do his own thing, usually something against the Code, and I'd be stuck in one of Cold’s safehouses, watching the news as he tried blowing the city sky-high without me. Then he'd send my letters back from the Heights without reading them.” He shrugs, languid, but Conner can hear the hitch in his breath, the way it hurts him.

Conner never expected to feel for a villain; Cameron’s struggles with his father hadn’t really pinged on Conner’s emotional radar; but there’s something about how _lost_ Axel seems, how broken the young Rogue is, and, y’know, maybe it has to do with the fact that Axel was willing to come out and help with the search, but still. James Jesse sounds like the kind of guy Conner wouldn’t mind punching.

“My parents are waiting until I’m eighteen to cut me off for being gay,” Hartley adds to the conversation, and Conner looks over at him to see his fingers still digging into the meat of his arms. “They won’t do it while I’m underage- they don’t want the backlash. But once I’m an adult, I’ll no longer be the Rathaway heir. I’ll just be the gay, deaf Rogue who _used_ to be the Rathaway heir.”

He doesn’t know why he expects Axel to be annoyed by Hartley cutting in, but a glance at the young Trickster finds him sending a sad look in the Pied Piper’s direction, his smile bittersweet. Axel starts a little when he realizes Conner is watching him, elbowing him gently. “See what I mean? Daddy issues.”

Conner nods before stepping around Axel to move on down the street, keeping quiet as he mulls over the their answers, turning them over in his head. “You said the Rogues have a code?” he asks after a few minutes, intrigued by the concept- it doesn’t seem like a very _villainous_ thing to do, following a code.

“Yup,” Axel confirms, popping the ‘p’ forcefully as he catches up with Conner again to talk with him, Hartley coming up on Conner’s other side. “Ever since it was just Cold, Rory, and Glider, the Rogues have had an honor code.”

“Even if Mick did have trouble with it back then,” Hartley murmurs with a sly chuckle, before he starts counting off on his fingers. “Rule number one, no hurting women and children.”

“Two!” Axel chirps, “No killing badges or capes.”

Hartley puts up another finger. “Third, no drugs. At all. Ever. Cold will _personally_ kick your ass for showing up high or bringing drugs into one of the dens.”

“Why?” Conner interrupts. Most supervillains don’t deal drugs, to his knowledge, but that amount of vehemence about illegal substances seems a little out of place for a criminal.

“Cuz it makes you screw up, and Rogues screwing up makes Cold look bad. And he does _not_ like being made to look bad,” Axel laughs, shaking his head slightly. “Four, you don’t go after Flasher’s family and friends.”

“And the most important,” Hartley begins, Axel’s voice joining his as the two chorus, “No killing speedsters.”

“Well, yeah, Captain Cold and Heat Wave are dating the Flash,” Conner laughs, expecting the boys to join in, but they’re both silent, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Those were the rules before Cold and Rory started dating Flasher.” Axel fidgets a little, his heart rate increasing again, and Conner can hear Hartley’s pulse spike right along with him. “You don’t- dude, you don’t mess with speedsters. Not Flasher, not Wally, not the old guy, _‘specially_ not Reverse-Flash.”

“Don’t talk about him, _Jesus_ , Axel, you’re gonna jinx us,” Hartley hisses. “You know how hard he is to get rid of.”

The Trickster nods rapidly, muttering, “Sorry,” even as Conner stares at the two of them, baffled.

“You- are you guys scared of the _Flash_?” he asks, almost wanting to laugh but stopping himself so he doesn’t provoke them. He understands being wary of the Reverse-Flash; the G-Gnomes had told him about most of the League’s major villains and rivals, and been firm that the Reverse-Flash was Flash’s problem alone, that it was better not to meddle with speedsters; but the idea of the goofy, hyperactive, talkative _Flash_ being someone to inspire _fear_ has Conner reeling a little.

Hartley and Axel are, once again, gaping at Conner like he’s grown extra limbs.

“Uh. Yes?” Hart ventures. “You’re have to be _nuts_ not to be scared of him.”

Axel raises his hand. “ _I’m_ nuts. Still scared of Flasher.” Hartley nods, gesturing to Axel as if to say, ‘see?’

“But he’s so _nice_ ,” Conner protests, wanting to defend the Flash, but all Hartley and Axel do is nod.

“He’s nice because we follow the Code,” Axel insists. “If we didn’t stick to it, especially leavin’ his family alone and not killing speedsters, Flasher would be as bad as the damn Reverse.”

“I dunno, that sounds kinda harsh.”

“You didn’t see him when the Raider whammied him,” the Trickster argues.

“God, I thought Cold was going to _strangle_ Bivolo for hitting Flash,” Hartley murmurs.

“Bivolo?”

“The Rainbow Raider. Another Rogue; he can use light to influence emotions, among other things. He hit the Flash with anger one time- the effect was delayed, but when it finally hit him? Flash was about ready to murder.”

“The Arrow had to step in,” Axel pipes up. “And if STAR Labs hadn’t come up with those anti-Raider lights? Robin Hood would be six feet under.”

“Flash almost _killed_ Green Arrow?” Conner can’t imagine it, but Axel and Hartley both look pale, scared, as they nod. “Well, he was- you said it yourselves, someone messed with his head.”

“Raider made him _angry_ \- the kind of angry he’d get if we hurt his wife, or his friends, or Wally. Which is why we don’t push it,” Hartley explains. “Not that any of us want to kill Wally or anything, but we _especially_ don’t want to push Flash to the point that he gets mad.”

“He can vibrate so fast he goes through solid matter. Imagine that going through your chest,” Axel whispers, shuddering a little, his eyes wide with something manic. “Now imagine he slows the frequency just a little.” He lets out a quiet, desperate giggle makes that Conner’s hairs stand on end. “Boom! Your insides are tomato soup.”

“Flash wouldn’t do that, and neither would Wally,” he growls, shaking off the feeling. “Now come on. We’ve got civilians to save.”

Axel and Hartley exchange a pointed look before the Rogues shrug. “Sir, yes, sir, O Boy of Steel!” Axel calls with a salute, clicking his heels together in midair.

“I’ll be _right_ behind you,” Hartley promises with a salacious grin, and Axel groans and elbows him before both Junior Rogues follow Superboy through the streets of Happy Harbor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael Snart cameo bc I can't help myself, he's my favorite fandom OC. Axel's characterization is a mix of TV, comic, and cartoon representations of Jesse, while his dad is pretty much all TV!Jesse. This is the last chapter of the team meeting Wally's family- next chapter is the family they can't meet.
> 
> Hit me up at blackbat16 at tumblr if you wanna chat!

**Author's Note:**

> visit me over at blackbat16 on tumblr to talk more stuff with me!


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